Before you decide to surrender your pet, please consider rehoming your pet by word of mouth and reaching out to friends, family, or co-workers! The shelter can be a high stress environment for any pet and while some can acclimate well to higher stress environments, others do not, and tend to rapidly decline both physically and mentally, so getting them into a home is their best option! If your pet is pure bred, searching for local breed specific rescue may be a better option as they are often foster based and your pet would then be going into a foster home instead of a shelter. The Toledo Humane Society has partnered with the Rehome Pet Project. The experts at Adopt-a-Pet.com, the largest non-profit pet adoption website, with support from The Petco Foundation, have created a simple, reliable, free program to help you place your pet from your loving home directly to another! Please see the link at the bottom of the page if you would like to place your pet up for adoption through the rehome.adopt-a-pet website!
We accept dogs, cats, and other small domestic pets. We are not equipped to shelter livestock, wild animals or exotic pets. The Toledo Humane Society requires proof of ownership upon surrender. If you are not the owner, you must bring a signed note with a photocopy of the ID of the owner.
We cannot take stray dogs. Contact Lucas County Canine Care and Control at 419.213.2800 to report stray or lost dogs. We will accept friendly stray/abandoned cats and kittens. Please click the link below to learn more about what to do in the instance of finding abandoned or unweaned kittens. Stray cats/kittens need to be brought to the shelter during your scheduled appointment time. Please call 419.891.0705 for emergencies.
Abandoned/stray kitten informationPrint and fill out our dog questionnaire or cat questionnaire ahead of your appointment to help expedite the process! If you do not bring the completed form with you to your appointment, we will require you to fill out one at the time of surrender.
If you're struggling with your animal's behavior, contact our free behavior helpline at 419.891.0705 ext. 318 or behavior@toledohumane.org. This free service is available to anyone experiencing behavior problems with their dogs, cats, or pocket pets. Our trained behavior staff are here to help answer questions and provide solutions.
Once you have booked your appointment, you will want to prepare for your appointment date. Depending on the day and unforeseen circumstances, your appointment may take longer than expected so please make sure you have allowed yourself plenty of time on that day. If you are the owner and are unable to attend the appointment, the person taking your place must bring a written and signed confirmation that you are allowing them to surrender the pet in your place. Your driver license/ID will be required at the time of the appointment. We also strongly recommend that you bring a copy of your pet's medical history as well as any toys, beds, blankets, etc. that your pet may be attached to and that will help them adjust to the shelter environment.
Print and fill out our dog questionnaire or cat questionnaire ahead of your appointment to help expedite the process! If you do not bring the completed form with you to your appointment, we will require you to fill out one at the time of surrender.
Please park in our main parking lot and make your way to the intake entrance on the side of the building. The entrance is a glass vestibule and the door will read "Intake." Please ring the doorbell next to the door and a staff member will be with you shortly. All animals must be contained, whether it be by a carrier or on a leash.
During the appointment, a staff member will sit down with you to go over all of your pet's physical, behavioral, and medical history. Once all the information is in our system we will take your pet to our clinic to perform a behavioral assessment to ensure that your pet will be able to be placed up for adoption through our organization. Due to the stress and high activity of the shelter, your pet may react differently in a shelter than they would in their home environment, therefore rehoming your pet through the shelter may not be the best suitable option for your pet. If your pet shows any sign of aggression during the behavioral assessment we may not be able to take the pet and you will be given alternate resources and suggestions. If your pet does pass the assessment, you will then sign our surrender contract, which then signs all rights over to the Toledo Humane Society.
Rehoming your pet should be easy and stress-free both for you and your pet.
The Toledo Humane Society has partnered with the Rehome Pet Project. The experts at Adopt-a-Pet.com, the largest non-profit pet adoption website, with support from The Petco Foundation, have created a simple, reliable, free program to help you place your pet from your loving home directly to another.
Rehome Pet ProjectWhether you’ve lost your pet or found a stray, click here for a list of available resources to help you during this stressful time.
Lost and Found PetsIf you or someone you know is struggling to afford their pet's food, THS is here to help. No questions asked and no need to apply. Please contact us in advance for proper arrangements can be made. All pet food is first come first serve.
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Mission Statement: The Toledo Humane Society leads the community in efforts focused on relieving the suffering of, preventing cruelty to and providing for the humane treatment of animals.
